Among the 18-49 demographic most important to advertisers, the “Flowers in the Attic” premiere averaged 2.4 million viewers.

The movie, based on the V.C. Andrews book of the same name, tells the tale of the Dollanganger kids, who are convinced by their mother to stay hidden in the attic of their grandparents’ mansion, so that she can reclaim the family fortune.

Lifetime will air an encore of the movie Saturday night at 10 p.m. , following the premiere of “Lizzie Borden Took an Ax.” Meanwhile, the network is also developing a sequel to the movie, “Petals on the Wind.”

While the “Steel Magnolias” premiere drew 6.5 million total viewers, the “Flowers in the Attic” numbers compared quite favorably to other recent Lifetime original movies. “Liz & Dick,” which starred Lindsay Lohan as iconic movie actress Elizabeth Taylor, scored 3.5 million total viewers with its November 2012 premiere, while “Dirty Little Secret: The Jodi Arias Story” pulled in 3.1 million total viewers with its June 2013 premiere.